Classic Red Skinned Potato Salad

Well its been a busy couple of weeks around here. We had little guy #3 break his arm monkeying around outside. That was the first broken bone ever. Considering we have 4 boys, I think that's pretty good. Hopefully we don't have any more of those….ever!

We also placed 2nd in guy #1's hockey tournament in Duluth, MN……Always a bridesmaid. Hopefully we can take home first in our upcoming tournament. Fingers crossed.

I love potatoes…..and I love dill. I made this summer classic red skinned potato salad a few days ago. It was so good I thought I'd share it with you all.

The bonus part is that I used baby potatoes that were prewashed. So this was easy peasy. No peeling!

Here's the recipe….

2 lbs of red baby potatoes 
2 sticks of celery
2 green onions
5 hard boiled eggs
1 3/4 cups mayonaise
1/4 cup sour cream
fresh dill to taste
salt and pepper

Cut prewashed potatoes in half 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil potatos until tender. Drain and cool potatoes in the refrigerator.

Chop celery, onions, cooled eggs, and dill.

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and mix.

Cill for an hour before serving. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable and Grain Salad

Want to add a new salad to your lineup? Try this one. You can eat it cold or warmed up.

It's been busy around our house lately. With a family wedding this past weekend and my husband being in the wedding party there's been barely enough time to do anything around here. 

Dishes are in the sink, laundry is piled up, I can't see one single inch of flooring in our youngests' bedroom (he decided to dig through 4 piles of clean laundry, empty his entire toy box and scatter laundry and toys all over the room)

Awesome!

But, the good news is I made this salad a couple of days ago so I'd have something in the fridge to eat when I want to just grab something quick. 

Same with the kids. They've been eating like crazy and I wanted to have something ready and healthy on hand.

This salad is so good. I love roasted vegetables, so I paired it with some healthy grains to give this salad a hearty feel. 

Some of these vegetables didn't make it into the salad after I roasted them, I couldn't help myself.

Don't these grains just scream hearty and healthy? I love barley.

Here's the recipe….

Roasted Vegetable and Grain Salad

2 cups cooked barley
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup chopped zuchini
1/2 an onion
1 bell pepper (any color)
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Italian Dressing

2/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F 

Cook your grains and set them aside. You'll need 2 cups of cooked barley and 1 cup of cooked quinoa.

Wash and chop your vegetables. Place them in a 9x13 baking dish and add the oilve oil, salt and pepper.

Bake until vegetables are tender and starting to brown.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the dressing by combining the dressing ingredients and whisking vigourously. 

Combine the cooled grains and vegetables and pour the dressing over it. Toss the mixture and place in the fridge.

Bananas Foster Muffins

Today started out a sunny and nice summer morning, somewhere along the way the clouds and fog rolled in. Boo. 

But, on the bright side, perfect baking weather....bonus. 

My kiddos love banana muffins. They ask for them all the time. Everytime they see bananas in the fruit bowl getting really ripe they bug me...non...stop. 

I was kind of getting sick of the same old banana muffins so I though I'd put a twist on this classic favourite.

Then it popped into my head. Why not try bananas foster muffins?

Voila!...here they are.

They're super yummy.

I chopped up the walnuts quite fine. You can omit them too if you'd like.

Doesn't the sauce on top make them look divine?

Here's the recipe

Bananas Foster Muffins

Yield: 12 Muffins  
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes  
Total Time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup butter melted
1 tbsp rum extract or 3 tbsp rum
1/4 cup walnuts


Glaze:

4tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
2tbsp rum or 1 tbsp rum extract
pinch of cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 12 muffin tins with liners

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mash bananas, sugar, egg, and rum. combine wet and dry ingredients.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Top with chopped walnuts and pat them in gently.

Bake for 20-25 minutes

While the muffins are baking, make the glaze.

Combine brown sugar, rum, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes. Whisk frequently. Allow to cool until warm but not hot anymore.

Remove the muffins from the oven and place on wire cooling rack. 

Drizzle glaze on top while muffins are still warm.

Enjoy!

Nutella Multigrain Cheerios Treats

A sweet treat with a healthy twist. Just a few simple ingredients.

Say what?

Healthy multi grain cheerios marries nutella and marshmallow???

Yes! I made these little treats yesterday when the kids were looking for a snack. I didn't want to give them total garbage (we've been trying to eat healthy you know?).

I spotted the cereal in the cupboard and thought, "Why not?…I can make these into a nice little snack."

All you need for these babies is Cheeries (multi grain or honey will do fine), butter, marshmallow, and nutella. That's it! Easy Peasy.

Just melt your butter, add your marshmallows and Nutella

Toss in your Cheerios

Enjoy! These taste like a treat, but are packed with the goodness of multi grains from the Cheerios.


Nutella Multigrain Cheerios

Ingredients:

2 tbs butter
1/3 cup Nutella (more if you love it)
1 10 oz pkg mini marshmallows
6 cups of multigrain Cheerios

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the marshmallows and melt on low stirring frequently. Then add your Nutella and stir until incorporated. Stir in the Cheerios and mix until combined.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Gently pat it down and let it cool.

That's It!

So easy right?

I'm going to need to pick up some more marshmallows so I can make these suckers again.

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal…with Chia Seeds

Who wants blueberry pie for breakfast???……..I do!

This Blueberry Pie Oatmeal is so healthy and delicious! What a fabulous healthy twist on a yummy dessert. 

I don't know about you guys but when my kids have oatmeal they keep trying to load on the brown sugar. So today I thought, there's got to be a way to get them to eat oatmeal without complaining for more sugar.

The solution was giving them "Blueberry pie". As soon as I told them I had made them blueberry pie oatmeal they gobbled it right up. They were asking for more "filling" of course, but at least it was healthy stuff.

So here's how I made it….

Cook up some oatmeal

You'll need these…

These frozen blueberries look so beautiful...

Put it all in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes…..

 Looks so yummy!…..

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal with Chia

Oats (cook as much as you need as per package)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tsp chia seeds
a pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp water
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp corn starch

1. Cook your oatmeal
2. While oatmeal is cooking, combine blueberries, chia, cinnamon, water, and maple syrup. Sprinkle the corn starch on top. Mix all together and simmer for about five minutes.
3. Spoon oatmeal into a bowl and top with blueberry "pie filling"

The Day My Caravan Caught Fire....with my kids strapped inside!!!

 The first thing most of think about when shopping for a new vehicle is safety and comfort. Naturally I  did my reading and saw that the Dodge Grand Caravan was the #1 best selling mini van on the market. How could I go wrong, right? That all changed the day the side door caught fire while driving with my four kids.

It was a cool day in March, we were driving home from my son's hockey game. We weren't too far from home, maybe five minutes. As we were driving along the road I began to smell something very unfamiliar, but the smell just didn't seem right. I began slowing at an intersection and something told me to look back. That's when I saw smoke and FLAMES!!! Directly behind me where my baby is sitting in his car seat carrier. Are you kidding me? What is happening here??? My husband was in the passenger seat on a business call, that's when I yelled "OMG Fire!!!" We jumped out out of the car in the middle of the busy road. I opened the sliding back passenger door and that's where I saw flames in the track of the door. I couldn't understand what was happening. All I knew was that I had to get the kids out of the car. The flames were burning at my legs at this point. My main concern was was the gas tank door was right against the door that I just slid back. I grabbed the baby and my husband grabbed the other two kids. There was still one more strapped in his carseat in the very back. My husband reached back there and pulled him out so fast. I have never seen someone move so fast before. Once they were all out we ran to get away from the van. I still didn't know the cause of the fire and I wasn't sure if the van was going to explode or what. 

Luckily there were bystanders who took me and my kids into their vehicle. This happened right across from a gas station, so one of the attendants saw what was happening and came running with a fire extinguisher. We were lucky enough to get a ride home from some nice people (it was too cold to be out there with the baby and the kids) my poor husband had to stay out there and wait for the police and fire truck to get there. 

Once the fire was put out the fireman wanted to start the van up again to move it. But once he turned it on....it started smoking from the door again!!!! They decided to disconnect the battery, this indicated an electrical issue.

I am so thankful we were able to get the kids out of the car safely. But I still shudder to think what could have happened. These flames were inches away from my baby's car seat!!!

The worst part about this all is that we contacted the dealership and Dodge/Chrysler to warn them about this issue, and nobody seemed to care. Not an acknowledgement, not an apology, no sympathy, no concern whatsoever!!! I am still shocked that with a problem like this, that they wouldn't want to look into this for the safety of their customers. I guess ignoring the problem makes it go away right?

I did a little digging online and found this article...Dodge Recall.

Funny thing is, I never received a recall notice. I also called Dodge as well as the dealership after the incident to ask if there had been any recalls on this model and they said "none that had not already been repaired". No mention at all of a recall for an electrical issue.

So, we purchased a new vehicle. Wanna bet it wasn't another Caravan! 

If you do drive a Caravan and you begin to smell something funny, please keep my story in mind.

Here are some pictures of the aftermath. This seat in the picture below is the seat my baby was sitting in.

My Favourite Beauty Products...

                             

Now that the kids are getting a tad bit older (like I don't have an infant anymore) I feel like I have a little  (very little lol) more time for myself to get ready in the mornings. So, with that I've picked up a few new beauty products and have found a few gems that I absolutely love. Here they are….

1. Aveda Hand Releif - I truly love this stuff. Not only does it moisturize dry hands but is smells so good. Not the perfumey good but in a natural good and mild way. At $24 a bottle it seems like a bit pricey but it's totally worth the splurge. Or you could try it out with the travel size at only $9.25 a bottle. Available here at Aveda.

2. Mac Mineralize Skinfinish - If you want your skin to look fresh and glowy, this powder is the perfect product for you. Just brush a little on the areas you want to add a glow and voila. I've had a few people compliment how fresh I looked after I started using it. Especiall for when your feeling dull and drab. Available at MAC for $32. I use it in the soft & gentle color tone.

3. The Wet Brush - I can NEVER go back! I have really long hair. I misplaced my Wet Brush the other day and tried brushing my hair with a regular brush. I stopped right then and there and refused to brush my hair until I found my Wet Brush. Seriously that much of a difference. So worth it. If you don't have one, go get one now. I got mine at a salon, but you can find them on Amazon for only $7.98!

4. Purple Shampoo - (If you're a blonde only) I have blonde highlights so I use this once a week. The purple shampoo will help keep those brassy tones at bay. I don't really stick to any specific brand. But I have this one from Amazon and it works great on brightening my locks. 

5. Clinque All About Lips - There's not much that I hate more than dry and flaky lips. This stuff will seriously soften them up like butter. For me, it leaves my lips soft and smooth. It's a tiny pump that you press and all you need is a little drop to smooth over your lips. If your lips are really bad you might need something medicated, but this is great for everyday softening. Available at Macy's for $22.50

6. Sigma Line Perfector - This brush was lifechanging for me. I never knew I could do such great eyeliner until this brush came into my life. This is a really great brush to get the angled eyeliner too or even just smudging a pencil liner. A must have in my makeup bag. Available at Sigma for $16

7. Urban Decay Basics Eyeshadow Palette - This is my go to eyeshadow. I use this just about everyday. It has exactly the shades you need for an everday look. You can even create a more dramatic look with the darker shades. But it is exactly what it says it is…the basics. Everyone needs the basics in thier makeup bag. Available at Sephora for $29

So, there you have it. My go to beauty favourites right now. What are your favourites? Are there any that I am missing that I must need to know about and try? 

Artisan Bread On The Grill ~ Baking Bread Outdoors....

I have wanted an outdoor oven ever since I can remember. Well ever since I first got married anyways. I told my husband "I want one for our 10th anniversary" That was just about 10 years ago. lol. I decided I didn't want to wait any longer and wondered if I could bake it on the grill at least. So last night that's just what I did. And it worked!! Such a fun option especially for those hot months when you don't want to heat up your house. Here's how I did it...

Pull out your ingredients 

Proof your yeast

Add the rest of the ingredients (Emmett insisted on partaking in this)

Mix it up by hand or a mixer with a dough hook

Let it rise

Cut the dough in half

Shape it into a loaf and let it rise at least 2 hrs

After 2 hrs looking nice and puffy 

Slash into the dough and dust with flour

Set it out on the grill (I placed an extra pan under the loaf pan for insulation as well a pan of water for moisture)

After 35 minutes (temp on the grill was 400 degrees F)

Looks so yummy!

A little bit of butter and honey on top. The kids are on this bread with honey kick lately. I gotta say I don't blame them.

And there she is....my dream oven!!

Artisan Bread 

Ingredients

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast

1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

6 1/2 cups unsifted unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

Add yeast to the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Mix in the flour and salt. Kneading is unnecessary so you can add all of the flour and mix it up. Once I had it lightly mixed up I threw it in the mixer with the dough hook just until it had a uniform consistency and the ingredients were incorporated.

Allow to rise for 2 hrs, make sure to cover it so it doesn't dry out.

Split dough in half to make 2 loaves. I baked one and saved one in the fridge.

Shape dough into a loaf, stretch the surface of the dough all around into the bottom. Cover and allow to rise on a dusted pan for 40 minutes. (don't over dust your pan with flour or you'll end up with a bunch of really dark brown excess flour on the edges of the pan, I did that..lol)

Dust and slash the dough. Slash a quarter inch into the dough in two diagonal lines with a serrated knife)

Preheat grill for 20 minutes. If you have a thermometer on your grill it should read 400 degrees F. Also prepare a pan with water (not necessary but adds moisture) to place on top rack of grill. Place your cookie sheet on grill to create a barrier between the loaf pan and the flames from the grill to help prevent burning.

You can also bake this bread in an oven at 450 degrees F is you choose to

Bake for about 30-35 minutes. If you are baking on the grill you will want to check up on it to make sure it doesn't burn. Mine turned out perfectly at 35 minutes.

This is the basic Boule bread mix recipe from the book "Artisan Bread in five minutes a day" I adapted it to use on the grill.

Learning to crochet...

I love doing crafts and projects. Even before Pinterest was born I had many projects on my to do list. One craft that I taught myself to do was crocheting. I just loved all those cute little baby hats I was seeing all over Etsy. That's also when I started seeing patterns for sale on Etsy….(ding…lightbulb going off) I'm going to make a hat for my baby! I bought a pattern and I was going to make a hat….today. But wait, I need yarn and crochet hooks. Away to Michael's we go. 

Ok now what? Not as easy as I thought. If you're wanting to learn to crochet, my advice would be to start by learning the basic stitches. You Tube is a great source for this. That's how I learned to crochet. 

Here are the steps I took to learn how to crochet:

1) Choose a pattern that is geared towards beginners (a simple baby hat will work). I used this one I found on Etsy. It is the Li'l Jackie hat by injenuity. (It's not very difficult but it states that it is Easy/Intermediate difficulty. The stitches are not basic ones but still easy. Here is a basic hat pattern from Daisy Cottage Designs for those who want to start with something totally basic.

2) Check to see what materials you will need. There are different yarn weights, make sure you choose the correct one.

3) Get familiar with crocheting lingo. Single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, chain stitch…etc. Watch a few You Tube videos and learn the stitches that you are required to make in your hat. Next try the stitches along with the video to get used to them. Here are some links to get you started.

Learning to crochet basics- chain (ch) and single crochet (sc)

Half Double Crochet (HDC)

Half double crochet 2 together (hdc2tog)

Front and Back post half double crochet (fphdc & bphdc) used in the Li'l Jackie hat shown above

Long single crochet (Long sc) used in the Li'l Jackie hat

4) Go ahead and start your hat. As a beginner, it will likely take you a few tries before you start to see something resembling a hat. I took me probably 10 tries doing the first few rounds and ripping them apart before I got it. Making mistakes is part of learning and without someone there watching over your shoulder, you will likely make them. Don't give up.

5) Once that hat starts coming together there's a sense of pride and you'll be so excited to finish.

Here's My finished product (and my baby boy)….

Good Luck and happy crocheting!!!

Amanda <3